North Providence High to kick off health pathway studiesDistrict partnering with RIC, CCRI, medical community to allow students to jump-start careers

NORTH PROVIDENCE Starting next August, incoming North Providence High School freshmen will get the chance to start working toward a career in health services, with the possibility of graduating in four years with an associate’s degree.

The North Providence School Department was awarded a $200,000 grant through the Rhode Island Commerce Corporation last week, which will allow the district to offer health-related pathways at the high school for 50 students in the “P-TECH Health Academy.”

Students that participate in the program, Supt. It’s not just the higher education establishments that are in on the “P-Tech” initiative model, or Pathways in Technology Early College High School Program, she said.

The grant partnership includes CharterCARE Health Partners/Fatima Hospital, Golden Crest Nursing Centre, the Union of Nurses and Allied Professional and Rhode Island Hospital Education Trust Fund as well as Lifespan and Stepping up RI, Smith said.

The group will take on the task of developing classwork that aligns with programs at RIC and CCRI, Smith said.

“We really do need to expand those types of offerings for our students,” she told The Breeze, adding that giving children the opportunity to dive into a real-world, hands-on experience is crucial.

Principal Joseph Goho said, “It’s really important for kids to see that the coursework they’re taking in high school actually does have a meaningful and important destination that will impact their lives.

“It’s hard for adolescents to see that when they’re in the middle of it,” he said, adding that he’s hopeful the program will engage students and show them that courses they’re taking “aren’t in isolation.”

Smith said last May, Rhode Island College sponsored a health services fair at NPHS, where over 200 students attended. Goho said student feedback showed an interest in the health care field post-graduation, and told The Breeze that many graduates wind up attending state schools like RIC and CCRI, as the institution rates “makes sense for a lot of our kids financially.”

He and Smith said with so many health care partners in town and nearby in the state, there’s plenty of opportunity for students after graduation.